Tubular carriers for the sterilization of commodities in containers



J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,181,689 TUBULAR CARRIERS FOR THE STERILIZATION 0FCOMMODITIES IN CONTAINERS May 4, 1965 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9,1963 May 4, 1965 J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,181,689 TUBULAR CARRIERS FOR THESTERILIZATION OF COMMODITIES IN CONTAINERS Filed July 9, 1963 v2Sheets-Sheet 2 loo United States Patent Ofiice 3,181,689 Patented May 4,1965 3,181,689 TUBULAR CARRIERS FOR THE STERILIZATION F COMMODITIES m(JONTAINERS Johannes Bernarrlus van der Winden, Amstelveen, Netherlands,assignor to Gebr. Stork 8; Co.s Apparatenfabriek N.V., Amsterdam,Netherlands, a limited-liability company of the Netherlands Filed July9, 1963, Ser. No. 293,639 Claims priority, application Netherlands, July10, 1962, 280,725 10 Claims. (Cl. 198-131) The invention relates to adevice for treatment of commodities packed in cylindrical containers,such as the sterilization of milk in bottles, the said device comprisinga conveyor, which passes through a path within a space, in which theproduct receives treatment, the conveyor being provided with rotatable,tubular and horizontally extending carriers for the containers. Such adevice is shown in U.S. Patent 2,719,478.

In this known device the carriers are filled by pushing one or morecontainers into each tubular carrier. In case two or more containers areinserted, each container is pushed forward by the one which is situatedtherebehind. Owing to this manner of insertion, the containers will bearagainst one another, and in the course of further treatment when thecarriers are moved along a treatment path while rotating a rubbingmovement is obtained between the front face of one container and thebottom face of the adjacent one with which it is in contact.

It is an object of the invention to prevent rubbing contact betweenadjacent containers by providing means for maintaining each container ina certain position during passage of the carriers along the treatmentpath. To this end each carrier is provided with at least one annularconstriction, which merges smoothly into the remaining wall of thetubular carrier, the constriction being such that the containers are notprevented from sliding ahead when a container is inserted, whereas thecontainers will be held in spaced position by the constriction when thecarrier undergoes passage along the treatment path. In particular, dueto the constriction, any containers which partially rest on theconstrictions will be subjected to an axial movement until through thecentre line of the carrier--merges fluently into the remaining wall ofthe tubular carrier, the containers being not prevented from sliding onby this constriction. Due to this feature the containers as long as theypartially rest on the constricted portion and during the rotation of thecarrier concerned will be subjected to a movement in the direction oftheir centre line until they are entirely free from the constrictionwhen the carrier is rotated. By a correct location of the constrictioncoordinated with the longitudinal dimension of the containers it can beachieved that no container will protrude outside the tubular carrier andthat between every two adjacent containers there is provided a smallintermediate space whereby a rubbing movement of one container againstan adjacent one is avoided.

The surprising efiect of the invention is especially evident in that theheight of the constriction need only be very small (2-5% of the diameterof the carriers) in order to achieve and maintain the desiredpositioning and mutual spacing between the containers which areinitially (during introduction) in contact with each other at theirfront and bottom faces. In general the diameter of the carriers will bechosen so as to be as small as possible to accommodate the largest typeof container to be treated. This is conection with the optimal number ofcarriers to be accommodated in the conveyor in order to increase thecapacity of the device to the maximum. Since the size of the narrowestpassage in the carriers is decisive for the possibility of treating thecontainers in consideration, the

outer diameter of the carriers due to the constriction is greater thanin the event of smooth tubular carriers, by twice the height of theconstriction. Since this height is relatively insignificant, the featureaccording to the invention involves practically no decrease of capacitywith respect to an installation with the same outer dimensions.

It is a further object of the invention to ensure that during theprogress of the carriers through the treatment space each containerremains out of contact with the other and no container will protrudefrom the end of the carriers.

When the invention is applied to a sterilization installation for foodstuffs, which are packed in bottles with a narrowed neck portion, astill further object consists in that the crown cork, which constitutesthe closure of such a bottle, remains free from the bottom of theadjacent bott e.

Under certain circumstances, e.g. when the tubular carriers have aninner diameter, which is not much larger than the outer diameter of thecontainers, there is an insufficient clearance available for theprovision of an annular constriction with a constant height. Theinvention also aims under these circumstances to obtain the desiredpositioning of the containers within the carrier.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a sterilization installation according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 shows to an enlarged scale and in longitudinal section a carrierfrom this installation said carrier being designed for two bottle shapedcontainers; the figure represents the situation at the moment that thecontainers are inserted in the carrier;

FIG. 3 shows the same carrier after the bottles have assumed theircorrect position.

As seen in FIG. 1, the sterilization installation comprises a casing 1,enclosing the treatment space 2. Further provided is a conveyor 3, whichpasses along a path with loops, in conformity with U.S. Patent2,719,478.

The conveyor 3 is provided with rotatable, tubular and horizontallyextending carriers 4, one of which is depicted to an enlarged scale inFIGURES 2 and 3. This carrier is provided with three constrictions 5, 6,7 the constrictions 5 and '7 being disposed in the proximity of the endsof the carrier 4. The containers 8 are represented as bottles with anarrowed neck portion, closed by a crown cork 9. In FIG. 2 the bottlesare shown in the position which they assume immediately after thesehottles have been inserted into the carrier 4 in the direction of thearrow 10. Since the left bottle 8 has pushed against the right bottle,the crown cork 9 of the left bottle is bearing against the bottom of theright bottle.

As soon as the carrier 4 is filled with the containers 8, a rotarymovement of the carrier begun (or is continued depending on the type ofinstallation), and the containers roll along the inner wall of thecarrier. U.S. Pat. 2,719,478 shows a typical manner in which thecarriers are caused to rotate as they advance along the treatment pathin the casing. Due to the smaller contact velocity at the location ofthe constrictions each container will assume a slightly askew positionwithin the carrier and due to the rotation will move in an axialdirection in the carrier until it is entirely free from theconstriction. In this way there is created an intermediate space betweenthe consecutive containers so that there is no longer a contact betweentwo adjacent containers and this contact can no longer be restored.

The carrier 4 depicted in FIGURES 2 and 3 is destined for theaccommodation of two containers 8. For that is constituted of a singletube.

of the carrier 4 are mainly provided to prevent the con-, tainers 8 frommoving outwardlynorto ensure that a container which has been pushedeither too far inwardly or not far enoughJismoved into its correctposition,

whereby a possible blocking of the installation is prevented. f i 5Represented in the FIGURES 2 and 3 isaocarrier which I In conformity.with the US. Patent 2,719,418 each carrier can, however, consist ofanumber oftube's arranged in an annular configuration,

i s 3.'A devicesaccording to claim 1, wherein th e'annular constrictionis eccentric with respect to the center of the carrier. p

p 4. A sterilization installation for foodstutfs, which are packed inbottles with a' narrov ved neck portion, the said device comprising acasing defining a treatment space, a conveyorv driven along a'pathwithin said space, horizontal rotatable tubular carriersjse'cur'ed' to'said conveyor for travel therewith along said path and being, driven'inrota-' tion as they advanceialong said path,..each carrier beingprovided with at least one annular constriction which as, viewed in an/axial section through the carrier, merges smoothly with the remainingwall'of the tubular carrier, the containers being free foraxial slidingon the constriction, thefgcon strliction' being situated in the regionof the central'po'rtion of the carrier and having a length which is,the'said tubes revolving and rotating around common t centrallysituated. center line.

The height; of thegconstrictions 5-7 can Be rather igoing rotation, saidcarrier being substantially cylindrical small and with containers havinga diameter of 10-15 cm.,'

saidheight may be to about 5 to 6 mm.- This amounts to vabout a 10%reductionfin the constricted portion. Owing to this constriction thefree inner diameter decreases by:

twice this height.

container applied and the inner side of the carriers, the annularconsttictions5-1 can also be provided so as to be eccentric with respectof the center line of the carriers v4. In that case 'it should onlybenensured that the maximal height atrthe most inwardly directedlocation is equal to the value mentioned above or to any othervalue,

When this is inconvenient with a View to the clearance which is providedbetween thetype of:

' nular constricted portion is centrally located' in said carat least;equalto' the length of the neck portion of the "bottles. to be treated.)I ,t p v .5. Apparatus comprising a tubularcarrier adapted for ,beingadvanced through, a'treatment zonewhile underand 'having'oppositeopenends throughwhich containers may be freely passed, the containershaving enclosed therein'commodities which "are treated as, said carrieris advanced along said path, saidcarrier including an intermediateannular constricted portion which smoothly merges with theremainder ofthe carrier to cause'two adjacent containers in said carrier to bespaced apart as the carrier undergoes rotation. 1

s 6. Apparatus as claimed inclaim 5, wherein said anrier and hasopposite ends which" smoothly merge with which is requiredrfor thisspecial case, the height at a location which is diametrical oppositetheretocan ber'educedto zero; n p:

Althoughthepresent invention has been disclosed in connection with a fewpreferred embodiments thereof,

variations and modifications may become apparent to those skilled in theart without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by theappended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device for the treatment of commodities packed defining a treatmentspace, a conveyorv driven along, a path within said'space, horizontalrotatable tubular carriers secured to said conveyor for travel therewithalong said path' and being driven in rotation as they advance along saidpath, each carrier being provided with at least one annularconstriction, which asviewed in -au axial section through thecarrier'rnerges smoothly with the re- -maining wall of the tubularcarrier, the containers being freefor axial sliding movement on' saidconstriction.

2. A device according'ton claim l,'wherein at least three constrictionsare provided on each carrier, .twobeing situated in the proximity of theends of the carrier and having a small width.

.in cylindrical containers, said device comprising a casing,

'the remainder of the carrier.

, 7. Apparatus as" claimed in claim 6, comprising a furtherannular'constricted portion adjacenteach of the ends of the carrierl r v8.-'Apparatus'as claimed in claim 5, whereinfthe containers which are tobe accommodated in the carrier .are bottles having a narrow neck portionof determinable length, the annular constricted portion having a lengthwhich is at leastas great as the length of the narrow neck portion. i

9. Apparatus as claimed infclaim' 5, wherein the annular constrictedportionis a cylindrical portion of reduced diameter compared to,therdiameter of the carrier. 7 10. Apparatus' as claimed in claim 9,wherein the diam- {eter of the constricted portion is reduced betweenabout 4 and 19% compared to the diameter of the" carrier.

ReferencesiCited by the Examiner UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 568,685 9/9Irrgang; 198 -131 -2,7,19, 47s" '1o s5 Winden 99-360 SAMUEL F. CO LEMAN,-Primary Examiner. EDWARD A. SRQKA, Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF COMMODITIES PACKED IN CYLINDRICALCONTAINERS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A CASING DEFINING A TREATMENT SPACE,A CONVEYOR DRIVEN ALONG A PATH WITHIN SAID SPACE, HORIZONTAL ROTATABLETUBULR CARRIERS SECURED TO SAID CONVEYOR FOR TRAVEL THEREWITH ALONG SAIDPATH AND BEING DRIVEN IN ROTATION AS THEY ADVANCE ALONG SAID PATH, EACHCARRIER BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE ANNULAR CONSTRICTION, WHICH ASVIEWED IN AN AXIAL SECTION THROUGH THE CARRIER MERGES SMOOTHLY WITH THEREMAINING WALL OF THE TUBULAR CARRIER, THE CONTAINERS BEING FREE FORAXIAL SLIDING MOVEMENT ON SAID CONSTRICTION.